Liquid level gauge



Sept- 23, 1952 E. E. VAN HAM 2,611,271

Y LIQUID LEVEL GAUGE Filed April 21, 1950 v #zo Patented Sept. 232 1952 UNITED :STATES v11.4.1*ENT orricl;l ....Jflma Ernest E. van Ham, Somerville, Mass.,rassignor to Jerguson Gage & Valve Company, Somerville, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 21, 1950, Serial N0. 157,229

4 claims. (ci. 73-331) This invention relates to devices for use with liquid containers whereby interior conditions in a container, which may in turn be indicative oi conditions at some other location concerning which information is desired, may be directly observed by the eye. lAn example of such a device is a gage as used on boilers and other liquid co-ntainers to indicate the liquid level therein. In

this case the level of a liquid column in the gage is observed and the level in the boiler or other has been customary to provide gages consisting of a heavy body of steel provided with a groove or slot which receives the liquid column and is closed on one or both sides. as thecase may be, with a at plate or plates of heavyglass secured by a frame or frames bolted in position. The pressures of various installations with which it is desirable to use such a gage, however, are frequently such that these constructions are unsatisfactory because of the limitations in the strength of the body itself as well as that of the glass and the diiiiculty in maintaining a tightly sealed joint between the glass and-the gage body. The construction of the present invention overcomes these difliculties in a simple and inexpensive manner.

My invention, will be well understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings oi an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a gage with its central portion broken away;

Fig. 2 is a vertical, longitudinal section on line 2--2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawing, the gage there shown comprises a bar-like body I which is provided with a longitudinal chamber I2 to the ends of which may be connected the pipes or conduits I4 (Fig. 1) communicating with the two sources of pressure the differential of which it is desired to indicate, as. for example, the water-containing space and the steam-containing space of 2 g a high pressure boiler. The body is pierced with transverse bores I6 intersecting the central chamber AI2 at a multiplicity of points so that the water level in thechamber may be observed through one oi these bores substantially continuously along the length of the `vertical bore. Herein these transverse bores are arranged in a single vertical aligned row although this is not necessary. The gage here shown may be read from either side so the bores I 6 extend completely through the body opening to either face of the same as seen in Fig. 2. f 1

Overlying each face of the body and covering a plurality of the bores, herein the entire series. is a ilat glass I8 of the type hitherto used, which is secured against the face of the'body Iby a frame member 20 secured by bolts 22, the'usual cushion 24 being interposed between the frame and the outer face of the glass I8.

In each of the bores I6 there is received-'a transparent member 26, the outer face of which bears against the inner face of the glass I8 and is supported thereby so that the glass prevents these transparent members from being displaced from the bores. Herein the bore isV cylindrical in the more limited sense of the word (a right circular cylinder) and so is the transparent member, or, more generically described, the two are parallel-sided. That is, any element of their lateral surfaces is parallel to any other element. The bores I'6 may be reamed and the transparent elements are formed to a close tolerance `on their outside diameters so that they will slide nicely into the transverse bores. In the wall of each transparent member 26 is a circumferential groove 28 'in whichis seated a packing vring 30 which is thus interposed between the wall'of the transparent member and the encircling wall of the bore I6 and is located in a plane between the inner and outer faces of the former.l Certain packings commercially available for use in sealing a joint between two cylindrical members. one of which is received in the other in the manner of a bell and spigot joint and which are'formed oi a rubber composition, are suitable.

When the parts are circular as shown, the packings 3D in their normal unstressed condition may take the form of a circular annulus, conveniently circular in cross section. They may be slightly stretched and snapped into the grooves 28. the width of which is desirably slightly greater than the diameter of the rings. The internal diameter of the rings may be somewhat greater than th,- bottom diameter of the groove and their external diameter only slightly more than-that Y 3 of the transparent members, say about .015 of an inch, so that the packing rings are very slight- 1y compressed when the transparent members are in position. I have not attempted to illustrate this in Figs. 2 and 3 because of their small scale. but in Fig. 4, which is on a larger scale, the construction is somewhat diagrammatically illustrated. YIt Will `be apparent that vpressure 'from the interior chamber I2 of the gage Will act upon the internal and inward semi-circumferences of the cross section of the packing ring and te'nd to thrust the same into the angle formed between the Wall of the bore and the exterior Wall of 'the groove. An eiective joint isfobtained. Y

In gages of the iiat glass `type 'as previously constructed, any movement of the 'glass '1:8 ia'w'a'y from the body of the gage-either -because of stretching of the retaining bolts '22 or compression of the gaskets 24 between the glass `andthe clamping frames, is likely to open up joints and cause leakage. In the present example vif #the b olts .stretch and the -glass moves outwardly xslightly, the transparent members 2'8 -may -fol- `low the same, but the packings 39 -between the transparent', members and the bores H3 which receive them, are unaffected. Consequently, even withl heavy pressures, the gage may be perfectly tight and the `bolts .22 need be set up only with moderate tightness as by means of the lingers or a -small wrench, in order `to secure eiiective sealing of .the instrument.

The transparent members 26 may be made of glass-similar to that-used for `the glass 1S. When 'the .temperatures involved permit transparent resi-ns such as the vmethyl -methaorylate resin hknown by the trade .name lLucite vvmay be used. y I have referred to Ithevmember vil as a frame. Conveniently, `and to contribute to its strength, Vit maybe a 4bar ,provided with .separate sight openings 32 as ydistinguished from a longitudinal slot substantially coextensive with the height of the gage, each of the Vsight .openings disclosing at .most a few of the transverse bores I6, lthere being herein fshown single openings .which -in use are 4aligned with the kindividual fbores I6.

By virtue .of the construction Athe body -iD is :strongly reinforced by the -webs bindingtogether the't'wo sides 'between'the locations of the transverse bores IB. The packing is effective `and the ypressure on the glass ymuch diminished .so

that breakage 'of the glass under excessive pressureis'avoided.

, lI am aware thatthe invention Ymay be embodied in other sp'eci'c forms .without-.depart- :lng from thes'pirit or essential .attributes therefoff'and I therefore desire 'the present embodi- 'rnent 'to 'be considered 'in .all vrespects -as illusltrative and not restrictive, as is in fact clear Yin 's 'evei'almatters from the'description itself. -Rei- 'erence i's vto 'be had to the 'appended claims lto indicate 'those l'principles of vthe 'invention exlamplified by the particular embodiment 'Clefscibed and which I desire to secure by 'Letters Patent.

Iclaim:

1. A gage of the type described suitable for high pressure, comprising a bar-like body having a longitudinal chamber and openings at each end thereof for admission of pressure fluid to the chamber, the body also having a parallelsided opening from said chamber through a side vface vof the body, a glas'sf'o'verlying the 'face and covering 'the opening ltherein, a frame retaining the glass against said face, a parallel-sided transparent member tting said opening and .exteriorly supported by the inner face of the having a multiplicity of Itransverse bores open- -ing from a tace'of vthe -body ,to the chamber along vthe-length lof the latter, a glass overlying said `face and covering fa plurality of -the'bores a frame retaining Vthe .glass against said face, transparent elements -tting the bores and exteriorly supported 'by the inne1'iace of .the.glass, a-nd Apackings-.for said transparent members-each `interposed between the apposed sides `of `aamember `and afbore and located between the .inner Yand outer faces of the member.

3. Aliquid container having a-series of fopenings through the wall thereof, a .glass covering the openings, individual transparent members received in the openings and-exteriorly supported by'the glass andv packingsfor each of saidmembers interposed between lits Aperiphery .and `the encircling Wall 'of .the opening .receiving the same and located between -the vinner and outer i aces ofthe member.

'4. Afliqilid-containerhaving anopening in its wall Ato .provlide .for-direct inspection oi the 4interior, `a I'transparent,member'tting said opening, a Vglass overlying said member `and fa vpor- 'tion 0in-the exterior face "of the containerand means for. securing said glass in `position Vtore- "tain the l.transparent member from outward displacement` front-said openingv and .apacking -for lsaid `member interposed between its .periphery and the-encircling ywall Lof theopening which .receives the sameand located -between theinner 'and oute'l` faces vof .the .membezx JBNEST vin-33AM.' "REFERENCES 'CITED The following 'references are ofV record in fthe file of`this patent:

' "UNITED fSI'ES PATENTS 

